Grandmother inspires Easton student’s Alzheimer’s project
Wicked Local
EASTON – When she was young, Ana Dias said, she loved to visit her grandparents, who lived in a large Portuguese community in Ludlow.
“My grandmother was an amazing cook and she would always make traditional Portuguese dishes,” Dias said. “I thought it was so cool that my grandparents lived in a community so rich with culture. Both of my grandparents and all of my other relatives in Ludlow spoke Portuguese, and there were Portuguese butcher shops, bakeries, and restaurants all through the town. My grandparents helped connect me to my Portuguese heritage and I wish that I had more of a connection to it today.”
EASTON Haley Cuthbert knows firsthand how autism can affect a family. With a sibling on the autism spectrum, Cuthbert has seen social struggles, the meanness of other kids and the triumphs of overcoming challenges faced.
“We’ve all been affected by it, by seeing her struggle all these years and kids not being really kind to her,” Cuthbert said. “I’ve also seen her struggle with kids in school because her social skills aren’t on the same level with kids that don’t have a disability.”
Because of those experiences, she decided to create the Puzzle Piece Project for her senior project course at Oliver Ames High School. Cuthbert, 17, said she is hoping it will help raise awareness and supply schools with tools to help all children, not just those with disabilities, as they navigate the autism world.